First Night
by RosarioN
Summary: One Shot: Rachel's first night in New York City before she joins NYADA isn't exactly how she thought it would be.


**a/n: I had this floating around in my head - I was thinking about how I felt when I was in Rachel's position. I was barely 18 when I moved to London for college, and not yet 21 when I later went to live in Madrid. Growing up in a small town, city life was quite an adjustment, especially as I didn't always live in the nicest areas! And I figured, perhaps Rachel might feel the same way too...**

**AU - because this imagines that Rachel and Shelby built a relationship post season 1**

**This is a ONE SHOT.  
**

She has wanted to live in New York, for as long as she can remember, and now she is finally here.

She was supposed to live in dorms, but one look at the cramped and noisey accommodation offered by NYADA, and Daddy had suggested she get her own place. A weekend pounding the sidewalks, viewing over 30 different places, and they found her a little studio in a not too dodgy part of town. The double bed is in an alcove off the living room area, she has an actual bathroom with a door, (as opposed to a shower head attachment over the kitchen sink as she saw in one place, and a shared toilet down the hall) and the living area has space for 2 arm chairs, a small coffee table, and a desk for her to study. The rent costs more per month than the mortgage on her parents 4 bedroom & 2 bath family home back in Lima.

She hasn't actually spent a night in her appartment yet, largely because until 2 hours ago, her bed didn't exist. She arrived 5 days ago with Shelby. Dad and Daddy met them at the airport, having driven from Lima, hiring a one-way rental van with her stuff. Shelby went to stay with Annalene, a friend from her broadway days, while Dad and Daddy checked the 3 of them into the Radisson.

They've spent the past 5 days buying and assembling furniture. A task which takes a lot longer when battling New York traffic and public transport, and narrow apartment building stairwells, as opposed to back in Lima when you made a quick trip to the out of town IKEA, and could assemble flatpack furniture in the large expanse of one's own back yard.

Some stuff has been brought from home. The bookcase in the corner is from her bedroom in Lima, the duvet and pillow set, the rug, the cushions, the framed photos, the TV and i-home dock, a few other ornaments and knicknacks.

Now it's 7pm and the last widget has been screwed in place by Dad, and Daddy has just returned from buying a weeks worth of groceries for her. Dad and Daddy are booked on the last flight of the day out to Ohio and need to leave for the airport soon. They can't take anymore vacation time, they had to fight hard to get the time off that they did take. Shelby isn't leaving NYC until tomorrow afternoon, but she too is headed back to Annalene's for a girls evening.

That's how Rachel finds herself stood on her old bedroom rug, in the middle of her new living room in New York, giving Dad, Daddy and Shelby a hug goodbye. It is at that precise moment it hits her that she is going to be left here _alone_. As in, _all by herself_.

School starts in 12 days. Rachel knows that as soon as she starts classes she will make friends, enemies and frenemies. Her schedule will be jam packed with lectures, singing lessons, dance classes, receitals, socialising and studying. However until then, she will be all alone in this big city. It is a thought that both excites and terrifies her, and at the moment, the terror is winning - which is why she finds herself fighting to control the tears in her eyes when Daddy pats her on the back and tells her to look after herself.

Can't her parents stay here? Can't she keep them in a cupboard or something? That way she gets her independence and gets to do what she likes, but then the second she is feeling scared or alone, or needs a hug, she can roll them out and get one of Dad's hugs?

She knows she can't cry because, then Dad and Daddy will stay and they'll miss their flight, so she plasters on a show face, which Shelby sees right thru by the fact she tells Rachel three times to phone her if she has a problem, because she will be over in a shot.

And then they're gone, and Rachel is left with a whiff of Shelby's perfume, and Dad's credit card reciept from the groceries that are sitting on the table.

Instead of feeling sorry for herself, she potters about a bit, unpacking the last of her books, organising her DVDs in in alphabetical order, before finally making some mint tea and sitting down.

Taking in her surroundings, she realises the lamp shade looks odd. It shouldn't be sat on the side table, it should on her dresser in her room in Lima, that's where it belongs, not here. It's supposed to be comforting, seeing her own things, but its not, it just highlights the fact, she's not in Ohio any more Toto.

A little after 9pm and Rachel decides to head to bed. She's had a long day and wants to be refreshed for tomorrow so that she can go explore her neighbourhood. She locks the door and treble checks the bolts are in place.

Under the covers, sleep doesn't come. There are sirens wailing outside, first the police, then the ambulances. A car is parked below and is pumping out some muzik that Rachel hasn't heard of while the driver waits for his friend. Doors are slamming in the apartments above. 2 guys in the street below start a fight, curses and insults fly between someone called Enrique and his friend Sisqo, the fight moves inside as Rachel can hear them thunder up the stairwell, her apartment door rattles as they pass. For a second she gets worried that they will break through the door to her apartment, when she realises the sound of the scraping locks is actually coming from next door.

She gets up, the deadbolt is still in place. She tip toes to the kitchen and collects a chopping knife and puts it under the spare pillow.

2 girls are drunk, sat on the firescape, their heals tapping lightly against her miniscule kitchen window and won't stop laughing. Somewhere in her building a dog is barking relentlessly, and a companion of Enrique and Sisqo has turned up and is now hammering on the door so loudly that Rachel feels like he may start on her door next. She checks her phone, it's only 11.15. How is she ever going to be able to sleep again?

10 blocks away, Shelby and Annalene are drinking wine and watching home movies of them gigging in a midtown bar back in the 1990s.

"Plaid was really in back then" Annalene comments "I think even my scrunchy was plaid"

"See now, mine was faux velvet" Shelby gestures to the screen " How did I get my hair that huge? Look at it, thats like 2 cans of hairspray and some serious back combing right there"

"Wish I could get into those jeans again" Annalene sighs, "My butt has never been the same since I got pregnant with Millie"

"I can still get into that skirt" Shelby says

"Liar, Shelby it's practically a headband!"

"I can prove it! Rachel has it now, she walked off with it, claiming it was retro or vintage or something. I'll get her to bring it to breakfast tomorrow"

"I can't believe I lived with you for 5 years and I never realised you had a baby - pregnancy did not ruin your butt"

"Speaking of-" Shelby picked up her phone which had begun to ring "Baby? It's late - shouldn't you-"

"Mommy" Rachel gulped. She'd been fine, up until Shelby answered the phone, but hearing the sound of her mothers voice set her off. "Mommy, I can't sleep, it's the noise, and I think someone is going to break in, and-"

"Rachel" Shelby interupted, sitting up straight "Do you need me to come over?"

"Yes please" Rachel sniffled, annoyed with herself for acting like such a baby

"I'll be there in 15 minutes" Shelby promised, hanging up the phone.

"Rachel needs me" Shelby explained to Annalene, who simply nodded.

Shelby looked down, she was already in her sleeping outfit, plaid pyjama bottoms and a Godspell t-shirt. She threw a hoody on over the top, figuring it was New York, no one would bat an eyelid. Grabbing her bag, she swiftly dumped a change of clothes and a toothbrush in, stuck her feet in her shoes and headed for the door.

Rachel heard a gentle knocking on her appartment door a shortwhile later

"Rach, it's me, Mom" a familiar voice called

Rachel lept out of bed, checking through the spy hole first, as Daddy had instructed, she smiled at the sight of her mother in the corridor.

She opened the door and all but flung herself in Shelby's arms.

"Hey now" Shelby patted her on the back "It's ok, I'm here"

She moved them both into the appartment, taking care to re-fasten the 4 locks on the door.

"I'm sorry, I don't want to be such a baby" Rachel cried

"Come on" Shelby told her "You're tired. Let's get some sleep" she lead them over to the bed.

Lifting the covers up, she shoo-d Rachel in ahead of her, before climbing in herself.

"Hang on" Rachel, quickly removed the knife from the pillow. Shelby didn't say a word, in her first new york appartment she'd kept a baseball bat by the bed.

Laying down so that Rachel was the little spoon, Shelby curled herself around her daughter, kissed the top of her head, and waited as her breathing quickly slowed down as she fell asleep.

The next morning Rachel awoke feeling refreshed. Coming into full consciousness she heared the gentle tones of her mothers voice. Shelby was up, showered, dressed and sat in an arm chair, speaking on the phone.

Rachel felt like a fool. Her first night in the city and she'd run crying for her mom. There was no sense to it. Shelby had 4 inches in height and about 10 lbs on Rachel, it wasn't as if she was an effective bodyguard in that capacity. Sure, Shelby could scare the hell out of people with her shouting voice, but it's not as if a would be murderer would stop and wait for Shelby to verbally take him down before he killed the pair of them in their beds - so why did Rachel automatically feel safer with her mother there?

"Morning Sleepyhead" Shelby said, hanging up the phone, noting her daughter was sat-up.

"Who were you talking to?" Rachel asked.

"The airline. I've re-schedule my flight for tomorrow."

"Mom, you didn't have to do that." Rachel felt she at least ought to protest a little bit.

"It's the school holidays, it's not as if I have to work." Shelby re-assured her. "Are you ok?"

"yes" Rachel brooded

"It's ok to be scared you know, this is a big move" Shelby told her.

"But I've wanted to be here my whole life...I guess I never thought about the actual reality of living here"

"You will get used to it. Trust me, you will love this place, and you will learn to sleep through the sirens and the drunk people." Shelby stood. "Now, first things first, we are meeting Annalene and Millie for breakfast at the Bagel Barn."

Rachel gave Shelby a small smile and shuffled off to get ready.

20 minutes later and the duo met Annalene and Millie on the front steps of Rachel's building. Rachel had heard much about Annalene, and Annalene likewise, but the two had never met.

"Annalene, this is my daughter Rachel, Rachel, this is my first NYC roomate and friend, Annalene"

The pair shook hands.

"Nice to met you" Rachel said

"Like wise" Annalene returned, as she began to lead the way toward the breakfast place. "Wait!" she pulled Rachel by the shoulder "Lesson number 1 of city life" Annalene grabbed the white purse that hung accross Rachel's body and down her back "your bag always stays in the front of you, else you will be releaved of the contents faster than you could ever imagine."

"Right" Rachel noted.

"And if anyone ever attempts to mug you, you give them your bag, no phone or i-pod is worth what could be coming your way if you don't comply" Annalene continued.

"Ok" Rachel clutched her bag to her front all the way to the breakfast place.

The group quickly got settled and placed their orders, and Millie is given a colouring book to keep her entertained.

"I changed my flight" Shelby tells Annalene, "You don't mind me crashing another night do you?"

"Course not" Annalene says "I hear you got a bit spooked last night"

"A little" Rachel says her eyes downcast. "Didn't you feel nervous your first night in New York?"

"Not really" Shelby tells her "There were 3 of us living in a studio apartment, so we took comfort that we'd at least all die together"

"Mom!" Rachel swats Shelby on the arm. "Seriously, three of you? How did you fit?"

"Two in the double bed, and Annalene here on a blow up mattress on the floor." Shelby replied

"How did you live like that? There must have been no space!" Rachel couldn't think of anything worse.

"We kept thinking that when we all won our Tonys, recording contracts and breakout awards that it would be worth it. Besides, we were all waitressing, bar tending or working in store, so most of the times we were on opposite schedules." Shelby explained.

"What she's not telling you, is Little Miss Ohio here, was too scared to go out after dark alone for the first 3 weeks, and she pulled the pin on her rape whistle if so much as someone gave her a sharp look, in fact she set it off so many times she nearly deafened herself." Annalene added

"Thank you Annalene" Shelby gritted, as she stirred her coffee.

"And this one time, a car back fired, and your mother literally threw herself behind a dumpster for protection because she thought she was being shot at, it was pouring down with rain too, but she was walking because she was too scared to get on a city bus because she was worried about not knowing what stop to get off at -" Annalene paused at Shelby's glare "But, within a few months, she was walking in the street, staying out past 7pm, and ignoring the crazy people like a pro-"

"So you see, sweetie," Shelby interupted, "It's perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed, at first, but you will settle in in no time."

"How are you going to spend today?" Annalene asks "Are you taking the Mini-me clothes shopping?"

"Clothes shopping?" Rachel asks confused "Why would we be going clothes shopping?"

"Well honey" Annalene glances at Rachel's knee socks and pill box hat. "Your clothes look very, well..._touristy_. I'd hate for you to stand out from the crowd, in a negative sense. The criminal underworld is very good at spotting the difference between the ironic hipster wearing knee socks, and well, someone who is from out of town."

Shelby sighed. She'd wanted to bring up clothes with Rachel, but she never had the heart. However seeing as the conversation was on the table...

"How about we go get you some new jeans and sweaters?" Shelby offered. "Winters are very harsh and you won't be driving like you usually would. You might feel more comfortable going up and down the subway steps in pants"

"Ok" Rachel said, a little dispondent, she liked her dresses and skirts.

They said their goodbyes to Annalene and Millie, and headed off toward the shops. A trip to The Gap later and Rachel was now the proud owner of 2 new pairs of jeans, and 3 knitted tops, all devoid of Reindeers and Owls. Shelby figured that would be a start.

Having dropped off the shopping bags, and with Shelby firmly at her side, they set off to do a 'recky' of the all the different routes that Rachel would need to take, appartment to Nyada, appartment to nearest large grocery store, appartment to laundromat. She took Rachel to the bus stop nearest her building and explained the route maps to her, and then the pair climbed aboard and went for a ride, so Rachel could get a grip of her bearings. On the return journey, it was Rachel's responsability to figure out where they needed to get off, which she did, though she pulled on the chord too late and they ended up at the stop past the one they actually needed.

Finally, in early evening, when Rachel was exhausted and wanted to flop down on the bed of her appartment, she found Shelby frog marching her past her appartment door, and to the one opposite.

Before Rachel could say anything, Shelby had knocked on the door.

"Mom? What-" Rachel started

The door swung open to reveal an older lady with grey hair, dressed in a house coat and slippers. She peered over her glasses at Rachel and Shelby.

"Hi" Shelby began with a smile, to reassure the lady that they were not some crazy people from the street, "Do you live here? My daughter-" she pushed Rachel forward "-has just moved into the building, and I'd feel better if she knew her neighbours, and I doubt she would introduce _herself_, so-"

"Mom!" Rachel seethed

The lady chuckled "Yes, I do. I've lived here for nearing 40 odd years. I'm Mrs Morganstein" she offered a hand out to Rachel to shake.

"This is Rachel, Rachel Berry" Shelby offered, before Rachel had the chance. The pair shook hands.

"And what are you here for young lady? School? NYU, Columbia?"

"NYADA actually" Rachel replied

"Never heard of it" Mrs Morganstein said "But anyway, if you need anything, feel free to knock on my door, I was a young girl in the city once, course, I was married fairly soon, but still"

"Thank you" Rachel replied.

"Do you know who lives in that appartment?" Shelby asked "Apparently there was quite a kerfuffle going on last night"

"Oh that's Enrique" Mrs Morganstein replied. "Don't worry dear, he's harmless, he's an exotic dancer at Cocobongos, everything with him is a big drama, I suspect he had a tiff with his boyfriend and it turned into world war three."

"Ok" Rachel felt a bit better.

"Thank you for your time" Shelby said, "I think we had better be going for dinner"

Back in her appartment, Rachel sat down on her bed. Daddy had just text her to see how she was doing. She debated about lying and not telling him Shelby was with her, as he would only panic if he thought she was upset. But then, the parental jungle drums would only start beating once Shelby returned to Lima anyway..

_Had a nice day with Mom _she typed

_**I thought Shelby was flying back today?** _Leroy replied_  
_

_She changed her flight _Rachel answered_  
_

**_What happened? Are you ok? _**Came the reply._  
_

_Daddy I'm fine. Shelby just decided to take an extra day.  
_

No sooner had Rachel sent the reply, than Shelby's phone buzzed on the table. Clearly Leroy was not satisfied with that answer. Shelby was too busy cooking dinner in Rachel's miniature kitchen to answer. Rachel was going to intercept, when a wave of tiredness took over her. She closed her eyes, and next thing she knew Shelby was shaking her awake._  
_

"Dinners ready" Shelby said gently

"How long was I out?" Rachel questioned

"About 20 minutes" Shelby handed her a bowl of spinach pasta.

"Oh" Rachel took it and began to eat. "Did you speak to Daddy?"

"I've told him I will call him when I get back to Lima" Shelby said, knowing well how worried the Berry men could get about things.

They made quick work of the meal, with Rachel volunteering to do the washing up. It was getting late, and soon it was time for Shelby to leave again.

"Are you sure you're going to be ok here tonight?" Shelby worried. " I can stay with you again?"

"I will be fine Mom" Rachel told her "You can't stay here forever."

"I know that, but I can stay longer if you need me to" Shelby re-assured her.

"I think I will be ok now, honest" Rachel said, willing herself not to cry. Not because she was scared any more, just because once again she was hit by the fact she wouldn't see her mother until at least Thanks Giving. Couldn't she keep Shelby in the cupboard too? Next to Dad and Daddy?

"If you are sure then" Shelby was not doing such a good job of staying composed.

"I'm sure" Rachel nodded and reached for a hug.

"I love you baby, more than you will ever know" Shelby sniffled into the back of Rachel's hair. "I've loved every minute I've spent with you in the last 3 years"

"I know Mom, I love you too" Rachel squeezed back.

The two finally drew apart. Shelby using her thumb to wipe the tears out from under Rachel's eyes. "Well then" Shelby straightened her jacket. "I'd best be going". Giving Rachel one last kiss, she opened the door. She stopped for a wave at the top of the stairs, before disappearing down the stairs, only the click clack of her boots could be heard in the distance.

Rachel kept her arms wrapped around herself in a hug, as she listened until she could no longer hear her mothers steps. She shut the door, behind her, bolted all the locks, and turned out the lights. Putting some earplugs in she got ready for bed, she needed some sleep. Tomorrow was the start of her new life in the city, and she was going to embrace it

* * *

**a/n: please let me know what you think**.


End file.
